Improved self-rocking cradle



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE G. WILLIAMS, OF HAMILTON, IOWA.

IMPROVED SELF-ROCKING CRADLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,744. dated March 7, 1865.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, HORACE G. WILLIAMS, of Hamilton, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Automatic or Self-Rocking Cradle 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to thel accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line a: x, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates `to a new and improved arrangement for operating a chlds cradle and fan, whereby the use of the hand orV foot for that purpose is entirely avoided,

and the cradle rendered capable of being perfectly balanced and regulated, so as to operate with greater or less speed, as may be desired.

A represents a childs cradle, which may be constructed in any of the known forms. B B are the rockers, each of which has a wire loop, O, attached to it, said loops extending down at the outer sides of the centers of the rockers and projecting a trifle below them, to admit of pins a passing through them to secure the cradle to a base or platform, D. (See Fig. 3.) The lower end of the loops C pass into holes in the base or platform, and the pins a are fitted horizontally in or on said base or platform.

To one side of the base or platform D there is attached an upright case, E, which contains a system of gearing-like that of ah ordinary clockwhich has a weight for a motor. F is the weight, and G is a cord attached to it, which passes over a pulley, c, in the upper part of the case E, and extends down and is connected to a drum, H, which is on a shaft, I, said shaft having a toothed wheel, J, placed loosely upon it and connected with the drum by means of a ratchet, K, and pawl L, so that the drum, when operated by the cord and weight, will turn the wheel, the drum being allowed to be turned by a key in order to wind the cord upon it wit-hout turning the u heel.

' The wheel J gears into a pinion, M, which is 0n a shaft, N, the latter having upon it a wheel, O, provided with horizontal pins d near its periphery, which engage with a pallet, P, and communicate a working motion to a shaft, Q, which has an upright, R, at one end of it.

The cradle A has a horizontal bar, S, projecting from one end of it, said bar being forked at its end to receive the upright R of the rock-shaft Q.

From this description it will be seen that when the weight F is wound up, and the mechanisln described put in motion thereby, the upright R will have an oscilliating movement communicated t0 it, anda rocking motion will be given the cradle, in consequence of the latter being connected to the upright R by means ofthe forked bar S.

The cradle A, at its outer end, has a bar, T, attached to it by a screw or bolt, e, which passes through the lower end of bar T. On the bar T there is placed a sliding or adjustable weight, U, which, by being raised or lowered, will regulate the speed of the movement oi' cradle, the speed being increased as the weight is lowered, and diminished as it is raised. This bar and weight serve the same office as a pendulum of a clock, and also serve another oiceV-to wit, that ofcounterpoising the cradle; and this is important, for if the child is a little at one side of the center of the cradle the latter would have a tendency to lean in that direction-a difficulty which is fully obviated by adjusting the bar T.

A fan, V, which would be a very desirable appendage in warm weather, maybe attached to a shaft, W, and operated from the upright It, in the same way as the cradle A. This fan is shown in red in Fig. 1.

I would remark thata spring mightbe used instead of a weight, but the latter would probably be preferable.

Havin thus described :my-invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-Q The operating of a cradle, A, and fan,l if dcsired, through the medium of a weight, F, or an equivalent spring,- an ordinary clock-movement, and rocking pallet-bar Q, with its upright It engaging with the forked bar S of the cradle, in combination with the counterpoise, laterally-adj ustable weighted barT, substantially as described and represented.

Y HORACE G. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

RILEY PAKER, PARsoNs R. CLARK. 

